Page 2 of My Grumpy Alpha

She opens her mouth to speak, but I cut her off.

“No doubt you’re about to spew some freudian nonsense from one of the textbooks you’ve memorised. Or maybe you’d like to suggest that there may be a chemical imbalance in my amygdala. But I can assure you, doctor, that my brain works perfectly fine, and that none of the drugs you prescribe me will work. Not that I’m implying that the degree you have displayed so proudly on your wall and have spent years of your life trying to attain that tiny piece of paper is useless, but you’ll quickly find that none of the things you’ve learned in a classroom will apply to me.” I glance at the clock.

“It looks like we’ve got about a minute left in this session. Will you be able to actually say something intelligent for once, or are you going to keep gaping at me like a dead fish?”

She just stares at me, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. I sigh and stand up, placing my finger underneath her chin. I close it for her before something can fly in and choke her to death.

“It was a pleasure seeing you,” I lie. I glare down at her.

“Same time tomorrow?” I don’t wait for a reply. I’m out the door and down the hallway before her brain catches up to her mouth. I won’t be surprised if I get another resignation letter from her.

That would be number three.

You can hear a pin drop as I walk towards the elevator. I can feel the envious gazes of the other men, the subtle, lusty looks that the women give me when they think I’m not looking. I can even hear the nasty things they whisper to each other from down the hall. I’ve got better hearing than most.

Everyone wants a piece of Eli.

One person even takes a damn photo of me with their cellphone as the elevator doors close.

I can’t blame them. People are attracted to power. They’re attracted to authority. They’re attracted to wealth. And god knows I’ve got all three dripping off of me in spades.

I adjust the cufflinks on my suit as the elevator doors open, the lobby quieting down to a hush as I step out. I ignore them, striding purposefully towards the exit. The sooner I get out of this damn building the better. I nod to the doorman as he opens the door for me, and I sigh as the fresh air hits me. Well, as fresh as downtown Seattle air can be.

My phone starts to ring. I sigh and grab it.

“Gabe, I swear—”

“—She quit.”

I pause and wipe my free hand down my face.

“Start over.”

“Your new secretary quit, and we need to hire a new one and while I know you like to have full control over this, I may have already found someone and given her the training manual.”

“We don’t have a training manual.”

“I know that, but I was trying to buy time!”

“Buy time for what? I was in my stupid therapy session for an hour. You’re telling me that in that hour Kris quit and you already found and hired a random girl off the street?”

“Yup.” He popped thepin yup. He does that on purpose when he wants to piss me off.

“Aren’t I great?”

“If you weren’t my brother I’d fucking kill you.”

“Your brotherandyour Vice President. I’m irreplaceable baby!”

“Don’t tempt me.”

He laughs, but I can hear something change in his tone.

“I think you’re gonna like this one, Eli.”

I’m immediately suspicious.

“Gabe…”